Vatican News: Holy See Condemns Kidnapping of Nigerian Girls And Demands Their Release

The Vatican has spoken out against the kidnapping of 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by Islamist group Boko Haram in Nigeria, expressing "compassion" and "horror for the physical and spiritual suffering". Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi condemned the "terrorists" and said it was "the latest of the horrible acts of violence that have characterized the activity of this group in Nigeria for a long time." Militants herded the girls out of bed on April 14 at a school in Chibok in northern Nigeria and took them into surrounding forests.

"The total lack of respect for life and for human dignity, including for the most innocent, vulnerable and defenseless people demands an extremely firm condemnation," Lombardi continued on Vatican radio. "This evokes compassion filled with sadness for the victims, horror for the spiritual and physical suffering and for the incredible humiliations that they are being subjected to." Lombardi emphasized that the Vatican joins "the many cries in favor of their liberation." World powers have joined the search for the kidnapped girls.

Boko Haram leader Shekau took credit this week for the Chibok kidnapping. "I abducted your girls," he taunted in a video released online. "There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell." Nigerian police have offered $300,000 for information leading to their capture, while the United States and China have committed to aiding rescue efforts. The hashtag #bringbackourgirls has received over 1 million tweets and been used by the likes of Michelle Obama and Malala Yousafzai.